​These cheeky, irreverent kid's picture books have a serious environmental message: introduced goats and pigs destroy the natural habitat of our native birds and animals. In these versions of the traditional stories ... the pigs and goats end up in a hangi and in a pie!

However, kids, mums, dad's and grandparents are lapping up the stories.

​Author and illustrator Mike Howell has been promoting the books in lots of bookshops and reports "fantastic feed back from everywhere except one"

In this shop a staff member took one look at the picture of a carcass hanging in the smoker and exclaimed “Oh that's too gruesome I couldn't show that to kids!!”

​However, two customers, one a local primary school teacher and the other the daughter of a local butcher sprang to the book's defence. The teacher ordered some books for her school. The butcher's daughter - in her 80's! - thought the book was hilarious even though she produced a photo her pet Kunekune pig from her purse!

​And here's a YouTube Video of some kids taking great delight in having the book read aloud to them